GCSE

Biology Week 4: Cell Division

B2 3.7 Cell division and differentiation

the development of an animal
B2 1.13 Mitosis
B2 1.14 Mitosis occurs during growth,
repair and asexual reproduction
B2 1.15 At fertilization Haploid gametes
combine to form a diploid zygote
B2 1.16 Meiosis

Cell Differentiation

In Humans tissues are an organisation of cells working together to carry out

specific functions. The precise tissue function within an organism is
dependant upon the type of cells it contains.

Cell types:

Nerve cell

Sperm cell

cells come in many

different shapes &
sizes!

Red blood cells

Muscle cells

It is not just the shape of different cells that varies, but

also the numbers of each of there organelles
e.g. a muscle or sperm cell will have many mitochondria,
while a bone cell has very few.

How do cells /
tissues become
Specialised ?

1. Tissues maintain stem cells to

serve as a reservoir of
undifferentiated cells.
2. Stem cells typically have the
capacity to mature into many
different cell types

Stem cell can become any type of cell.

1. Fertilised egg (zygote) divides by Mitosis forming an embryo.
2. All embryonic stem cells are undifferentiated.
3. Stem cells divide producing more stem cells or different cells (Specialised
cells e.g. epithelial, blood, liver etc.)

How do cells /
tissues become
Specialised ?

Adult stem cells are in the

bone marrow! But these are
not quite as useful as
embryonic stem cells
Which may be able to cure
many diseases!

Stem cell can become any type of cell.

4. Differentiation is the term given to stem cells dividing and becoming
specialised.
5. Differentiated stem cells develop into the recognisable organism,
complete with its organs and organ systems.

Cells make up Tissues

Which are communities of cells that have functions
beyond what any single cell type could accomplish...
So, cells differentiate, becoming specialised. These cells
form tissues (a group of similar cells working together to
carry out a particular function).
Different tissues form organs (e.g. liver, heart etc.) these
tissues work together to carry out a particular function).
Organs form organ systems e.g. Digestive system; a
group of organs working together to carry out a particular
function.

Cells
Tissues
Organs
Organ
system
Organism

Similar cells
grouped into to
tissues organs
& organs into
systems for
increased
efficiency.

How do cells
divide to
become
anything at
all?
Through a process
called Mitosis!

DIPLOID
Somatic cells are described as ................
(from the Greek meaning double).
you will see this written as 2n

Mitosis is the process of normal cell

division.

In mitosis, the
chromosomes are copied
and divided equally
between the 2 new
daughter cells. ..

...So each mitotic division produces

2 cells...

Some cells in the human body are not diploid... Gametes contain only 1
copy of each gene as they have only 1 set of chromosomes.

Haploid
These cells are ..............
and are produced by a
Meiosis
special type of cell division called ............

A male and Female gamete join

together at fertilisation...
forming a.

zygote
This 1 cell
then divides
by

Mitosis
to produce
a complete
new
organism...

You received one chromatid from your

father.
And one from chromatid your
mother!

Remember...
This is key to understanding why
organisms vary!

So, what are

Alternative
forms of
genes are
called??

The Appearance, number

and arrangement of
chromosomes in the
nucleus are referred to as
the karyotype.

The human karyotype consists of 23 pairs of chromosomes. (46, or 2n)

All diploid human cells contain 23 pairs... What does a haploid cell have?

n or 23

Mitosis results in 2
identical cells and some
organisms use mitosis to
reproduce!
E.g. Aphids and
Strawberries

This form of
reproduction is
called: Asexual
reproduction.
All offspring
have exactly the
same genes as
the parent.
and Strawberries

Mitosis is great for

growth and repair J
but since all daughters
are clones there is NO
genetic variation L

Meiosis: The production of Gametes (sex cells)

Remember sperm and egg

(ova) are Hapliod having
just n half the number of
chromosomes.

Meiosis is a special kind of

cell division in which there
are 2 successive divisions
that result in the
production of gametes
the sex cells!